Dypsis mahajanga

[brodklop]

group of D. fine leaf. These produce fine leaved seedlings.

[brodklop]

I would say the difference in these 2 palms is greater that the difference between D.prestoiana and D. robusta.

There are other groups of D. madagacariensis types in these gardens which are different again. That is another story.

Cheers

Brod

[ariscott]

I have 3 D. madagascariensis and I have 1 D. mahajanga. They seem to be different. Both types clump, but the mahajanga seems to have finer leaflets.

Regards, Ari

[Daryl]

Dypsis madagascariensis is just a highly variable species, I'm sure.

There are at least 8 different varieties growing in Oz that I'm aware of. They are all unique in some way.

The large single variety known here as 'lucubensis' has a swollen base, and a much sturdier trunk than all of the other varieties.

There are several single trunk varieties that are not 'lucubensis', and several clustering varieties. There is a variety which is very white and waxy, with pink spears, along with the varieties Brod mentioned.

There are a few different varieties growing at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens.

Here is another one, this is a sturdy multi-trunk variety, with stems more than 12" thick.

Daryl

[Tyrone]

Daryl, I agree with you at the 8 or so different D madagascariensis variants. I have the single one with white waxy petioles and pink new spear, as well as one with the common though not accepted name of D lucubensis, and then there's D sp diego, and a few others with differences.

I'm thinking that it is possible that seed collectors in Madagascar may come across some seed of a species that loosely resembles the description of D madagascariensis, and for various reasons, possibly paperwork reasons, just call it Dypsis madagascariensis. If that happens, then many different maybe new species enter cultivation with noone realising what they have until the plants get quite large. By then, everyone's forgotten the details of where the seed came from etc.

But at the end of the day, I'm happy I can grow them.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Walter John]

Wonderful and informative reporting Brod and Daryl. These palms don't have a great rep for good looks. When younger they are sometimes regarded as ugly ducklings but later they look quite magnificent as older plants. There's a nurseryman up the sunshine coast refers to the Lucubensis form as "Grey Cane palms".

[Daryl]

Wal, that's funny, back in the late 70's in Darwin we referred to them by the same name.

Daryl

[Tyrone]

At the nursery I do a bit of work at, my boss has adopted the Darwin name, "Grey Palm", and I hate it. It doesn't describe it at all, and what an unflattering colour IMO.

Best regards

Tyrone